


Safe and Sound

by isthepartyover



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: But kind of, Well not really, also jack kelly is a dumb, modern!AU, zombie!fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-11
Updated: 2014-10-11
Packaged: 2018-02-20 17:35:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2437088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isthepartyover/pseuds/isthepartyover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on the prompt idea "reuniting after the zombie apocalypse when they didn't know if the other was alive or not"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Safe and Sound

“Jack, c’mon, you’ve been on watch for six hours. and I know you haven’t slept for days. Go get some rest.” Davey said, sighing a little when Jack didn’t move or act like he had heard. “Jack, c’mon. Please. Katherine would hate to see you-”

“She’s still alive.” Jack interrupted, his voice sharp. “She’s still out there, I know she is.”

“I’m not saying that.” Davey tells him, trying to make his voice sound as gentle as possible. “I’m just saying that Katherine would want you to take care of yourself. You know that. Plus, the rescue choppers will be here soon, and it’d be good to get as much sleep as you can before we have to start getting everyone ready to leave.”

Jack was silent and unmoving again, and Davey made a frustrated noise. But before he could try to reason with his friend again, Jack spoke.

“It’s easy for you guys.” he said. “You’ve all got what family you have and all us newsies. It’s easy for you to just grab everything and get the hell outta this nightmare. But for me...it’s so hard. I dunno-I don’t even know if she’s alive, Dave, and it’s killin’ me.”

Jack’s voice had started to crack as he spoke, and Davey suddenly felt awful. He had his mom and his dad and Les plus all of their friends, all safe in the bunker that they all had created when this whole mess had started, but Jack only had the guys and Katherine. And everyone knew that no matter how much Jack cared for his friends, he cared about Katherine a hell of a lot more.

Davey reached out and put his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I’m not going to force you to go get some rest, but if you do, I’ll wake you if I see her.”

Jack finally turned to look at him, an unspoken question in his eyes.

“No matter what.” Davey said, answering his question.

Jack nodded and handed over his weapon, walking over to the sleeping area slowly and almost zombie-like.

Davey frowned and took a seat to start watch, hoping that he wouldn’t see Katherine out there.

Because if he did, that would almost certainly mean that she had turned.

**

“Katherine. Katherine, hey.”

“What do you want, Darcy?” Katherine snapped, spinning around to face him, dropping her laundry bag. Darcy held his hands up.

“Hey, sorry. I just wanted to tell you that they’re bringing in some new survivors today.” he said.

“So? They bring in survivors every day.” Katherine huffed irritably, stooping over to pick up her bag again.

“Yeah, but the people they’re bringing in today are from New York City.” Darcy told her.

Katherine dropped her things again and bolted.

***

Jack helped people out of the helicopter, trying to ignore how exhausted he felt. Just a little bit longer, and he could rest. Probably.

They were all safe, that much was a huge weight off of his shoulders. Well, except for…

No. He wasn’t going to think about her. Or he’d start crying and Jack needed to keep himself together until they were all settled in.

Like Davey had said, everyone was looking to him to be a leader, and there was nothing he could do but be the best damn leader he could.

Once the last person was out of the helicopter, Jack turned to see all of his friends staring at something in front of them.

“What’s goin’ on, guys? C’mon, they wanted us all to gather up in the next room to show us around and stuff. Why’re you all just standin’ there?” Jack asked. They all turned to face him with (slightly creepy) grins on their faces.

“Oooh, you’re gonna wanna see this, Jack.” Crutchie crowed, and Jack rolled his eyes and craned his head to see what they were all staring at.

Standing several feet away, looking along the line of boys, her hair a slight mess, in her stained, oversized t-shirt and sweats, and looking like she had just run a mile, Katherine Plumber was the most beautiful thing Jack Kelly had ever seen.

He felt his small bag slip from his hands as he stared at her. She caught his gaze then, and her already wide eyes got wider and she let out a laugh, smiling like she was about to cry.

Jack started walking towards her, running the second she started towards him, and they slammed into each other, both clutching at the first thing they could reach.

“You’re okay.” Jack said thickly, trying hard not to cry. He felt Katherine nod from where her head was pressed against his shoulder.

“You’re okay.” she repeated, releasing and then clenching the fabric of his shirt again in her hand.

Jack wedged them apart so he could see her face, feeling a couple tears run down his face. “I was-I was so scared, Ace. I thought- thought I’d never see you again, but you’re here and you’re safe, and oh my god-”

Katherine nodded along as he spoke, cupping his cheeks with her hands and brushing away his tears even though a couple of tears were running down hers as well.

“I love you.” she told him, suddenly. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” he repeated, kissing her forehead before holding her close again.

His head began to ache suddenly, and spots began to appear at the edges of his vision.

“Oh.” he muttered.

“What?” Katherine asked, her voice sounding far away.

“Think I’m about to pass out.” Jack told her, right as his legs gave out from under him and his vision completely blacked out.

***

Jack woke up in a warm, soft bed, with a cool hand in his.

“You, Jack Kelly, are an idiot.” he heard Katherine say from nearby, amusement in her tone. “You don’t take care of yourself for weeks, and the second you’re safe and sound, you pass out. Idiot.”

There was a pause, and then, “I love you. So much. And I know you’re listening to me, you dope, you’re smiling. Go back to bed.”

Jack laughed and opened his eyes to see Katherine shaking her head, smiling warmly. “You never can do what people tell you, can you?”

“Nah.” Jack hummed, grinning at the sound of her laughter.

“Go back to sleep before I get a doctor to drug you.” she threatened.

“Alrighty, ma’am.” Jack told her, shutting his eyes and letting himself relax for the first time in months.


End file.
